Are IITs Safe for Women?

What is the experience of studying in a classroom with a skewed gender ratio?

Women make up about 18 to 20 per cent of every classroom. This means that there are enough girls on campus and there’s no need to feel scared. More so, there is no gender-based discrimination in any branch of engineering. There are equal opportunities for all genders. You can work with professors or on student-run activities in different branches that are of your interest and this is purely based on merit and aptitude.

Do students witness misogyny or sexism on campus?

We cannot say that there is no discrimination at all in society at large. People in the institute also come from the same social settings. You may experience that certain things are said just because you are a woman. There could be instances when you encounter sexist behaviour. But it is important to note that there are systems or offices in place to address these situations. Apart from offices such as the gender cell at IIT Bombay, there are also student representatives who you can reach in case of any complaint. With awareness and sensitisation, we have been trying very hard to reduce if not eliminate such incidents. It is important to reach out and speak up, there is an entire support system prepared to help you.

 Read full article on Indian Express.